At a meeting of the Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory Board, members debriefed on the city’s Historic Preservation Month events and reported modest but meaningful public turnout for open houses, tours and family activities.

Board members said the events, held at multiple adaptive-reuse sites around Bozeman, drew dozens of visitors and gave residents a chance to see historic buildings not typically open to the public. Elizabeth Darrow, who led several site events, described the Story Mansion and Carnegie Library open houses as “a perfect example of adaptive reuse” and said the city-owned Story drew steady interest from longtime residents and newcomers alike.

The board framed the series as an effort to raise awareness and educate residents about reuse and preservation. “The law firm was absolutely open to what we wanted to do in our open house and they took us into all sorts of interesting parts of the building,” Darrow said of the Carnegie Library site. Members reported roughly 30–40 visitors at some sites and lower turnout at more distant locations; the Cannery site had fewer daytime visitors but a small evening tour, while the Gallatin Valley Seed Building tours drew a handful of people who appreciated seeing the building’s structure and basement details.

Organizers said a simple, family-focused event at the Story Mansion—cookie painting tied to the building tour—was effective at attracting children and families. “We had 89 cookies made and we handed out, I think, around, like, 60,” one organizer said, noting the activity’s popularity with younger visitors and adults who stayed to learn more.

Board members credited local property owners, law firms and nonprofit partners for opening spaces and providing historic documents and photographs. They also noted coverage from the local paper and radio and said most attendees reported learning about events via Facebook and the city website.

Looking ahead, members discussed making the open-house/tour model an annual feature of Preservation Month and improving school outreach. Several board members asked staff to coordinate improved notice to schools and to preserve and publish the photographic and archival material gathered during the events.

The discussion was informational; no formal motion or vote took place.

Board members and staff said they will compile photos and materials for the city website and consider combining the open-house model with a future adaptive-reuse panel or preservation awards timeline.